Subsistence Fishing in Madison: Is it an Environmental Justice Issue?

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1 Subsistence Fishing in Madison: Is it an Environmental Justice Issue? Maria Powell, Madison Environmental Justice Organization, University of Wisconsin Kazoua Moua, UW-Extension, Dane County, Kennedy Heights Board of Directors VamMeej Yang, Madison Environmental Justice Organization, Kennedy Heights Asian Outreach Coordinator Jody Schmitz, Madison Environmental Justice Organization, Kennedy Heights Adult Outreach Coordinator Jim Powell, Madison Environmental Justice Organization, Northside Planning Council

2 Many minority subsistence anglers On the shores of Madison lakes Many African Americans fishing on Madison lakes are from Milwaukee (Madison is their up north ) Fishing is very important socially and culturally to Hmong, African American, Latino anglers, and many depend on fish for food. a

3 Is this an environmental justice issue?

4 Are Madison mercury & PCB levels as bad as Green Bay or Milwaukee? Definitely not but does that mean there s no problem? Lake Mendota Walleye (1 fish):.47 ppm Hg White bass (1 fish):.19 ppm Hg Lake Monona Walleye (4 fish): ppm Hg Wisconsin River White bass:.27 ppm Hg

5 PCBs Yahara Lakes fish range from.1 ppm to.52 ppm mercury Yahara Lakes fish range from.045 to.46 ppm PCBs No fish data on other metals, pesticides, PAHs, PBDEs or pharmaceuticals (as far as we know).

6 Are some areas worse than others? Monona Bay, an extremely popular shore angling area, has been called a toxic hotspot by the DNR in the past?? Polychlorinated biphenyls were detected in sediment samples collected in 1987, with the highest concentration located along the north shore of Monona Bay. The north shore of the bay is also a mercury hot spot. A possible source for the PCBs and mercury is a large storm sewer outfall near the sampling site. Arsenic and copper compounds were also measured in the core samples. Fish monitoring for PCBs and mercury through WDNR s fish consumption advisory program will continue indefinitely. -from the WDNR Lower Rock River Water Quality Management Plan, 2001

7 Dane County Regional Planning Commission, recommendations in the Yahara Monona Priority Watershed Project Plan (1992) 1. The Lower Rock River Basin Team should conduct fish monitoring in Lake Waubesa, the Yahara River, and Lake Monona for mercury. 2. The Lower Rock River Basin Team should conduct additional sediment core sampling in Lake Monona and Lake Waubesa to identify possible trends in PCB contamination. 14. The Lower Rock River Basin Team should conduct a more complete assessment of in-place pollutants in Monona Bay by expanding sediment sampling to areas not previously sampled. Were these studies ever done?

8 Do Madison mercury & PCB levels pose health risks for Madison anglers? Yes, if people are eating fish regularly, which many subsistence anglers are. They are also consuming other toxins in the fish. Regardless The EPA recommends of fish mercury that for fish levels concentrations and consumption ranging from.12 rates, ppm to.47 ppm (about the range of the Madison fish) people should generally eat no more than 2-4 meals a month. MEJO feels that communication about the potential risks to the people potentially most affected is critical, and an ethical responsibility of those who know about these issues.. Pregnant women and children should only eat one meal a month of the fish on the higher end of this range (which larger fish like walleye and bass in Madison can have). Our preliminary research suggests that some Madison anglers eat far more than this amount, including fish that are likely to have levels on the higher end of this range. Some Hmong anglers we have surveyed eat fish every day during fishing seasons.

9 Lack of data is a significant problem: Do we know the extent of the health risks anglers are taking from consuming Madison fish? --No--only sparse data on fish mercury levels, consumption rates or health outcomes In the meantime, are minority anglers in Madison getting information about fish advisories, health risks from eating fish? --MEJO s work suggests that they aren t

10 Numerous studies show that white, educated, men are more likely to get advisories than others: WI DHFS study (Imm et al., 2005): 55% of whites/15% blacks aware of advisory 65% of men/30% of women aware of advisory 55% of people with some college and 33% of people with less than high school were aware Older people were more aware than younger people Similar findings in many other studies Unfortunately, those who are least likely to get advisories are those who may be more likely to be at risk from fish contaminants.

11 Communication is a key EJ issue! All the data/scientific studies in the world will do nothing to reduce human exposures to mercury in fish if people who eat a lot of fish don t know about advisories, don t understand fish consumption advice, don t have the resources or capacity to do anything about the problems Where are The signs?

12 February 11, 1994 EXECUTIVE ORDER FEDERAL ACTIONS TO ADDRESS ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE IN MINORITY POPULATIONS AND LOW-INCOME POPULATIONS By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered as follows: Section 1-1. IMPLEMENTATION Agency Responsibilities. To the greatest extent practicable and permitted by law, and consistent with the principles set forth In the report on the National Performance Review, each Federal agency shall make achieving environmental justice part of its mission by identifying and addressing, as appropriate, disproportionately high and adverse human health or environmental effects of its programs, policies, and activities on minority populations and low-income populations in the United States and its territories and possessions, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the Commonwealth of the Marian islands.

13 Sec Research, Data Collection, and Analysis Human Health and Environmental Research and Analysis. (a) Environmental human health research, whenever practicable and appropriate, shall include diverse segments of the population in epidemiological and clinical studies, including segments at high risk from environmental hazards, such as minority populations, low-income populations and workers who may be exposed to, substantial environmental hazards. (b) Environmental human health analyses, whenever practicable and appropriate, shall identify multiple and cumulative exposures. (c) Federal agencies shall provide minority populations and low-income populations the opportunity to comment on the development and design of research strategies undertaken pursuant to this order.

14 Sec Subsistence Consumption Of Fish And Wildlife Consumption Patterns. In order to assist in identifying the need for ensuring protection of populations with differential patterns of subsistence consumption of fish and wildlife, Federal agencies, whenever practicable and appropriate, shall collect, maintain, and analyze information on the consumption patterns of populations who principally rely on fish and/or wildlife for subsistence. Federal agencies shall communicate to the public the risks of those consumption patterns Sec Public Participation and Access to Information (b). Each Federal agency may, whenever practicable and appropriate, translate crucial public documents, notices, and hearings relating to human health or the environment for limited English-speaking populations. (c ) Each Federal agency shall work to ensure that public documents, notices, and hearings relating to human health or the environment are concise, understandable, and readily accessible to the public.

15 In sum--are there environmental justice problems in Madison? MEJO thinks there are. Research/data needed to address extent of risks to minorities and poor subsistence anglers not gathered. Exposure & health studies are often color-blind Minorities are usually underrepresented or not there at all Are agencies, researchers, NGOs in Madison communicating with people of color and poor? People of color, poor are often invisible and ignored.

16 Why are there such big disparities in who gets advisories and who doesn t?

17 Huge contextual/cultural and socioeconomic differences in fishing, fish consumption Use of/ access to different kinds of information Different kinds of knowledge/experiences Varying government trust levels, anger and worry about issue

18 Fishing is very culturally and socially important for anglers from all backgrounds: European American culture Friday fish fries, sport-fishing from boats, fish expos, Lake Erie walleye capital of the world African Americans back yard fish fries with friends and family, Southern fishing culture, fried panfish Deep cultural connections for people from many backgrounds (Native American, Asian, Latino). But, contexts of these cultures are very different, and American society is still very segregated by race and class, so these cultures do not interact often. Scientists, government staff--and risk communicators--are largely from European American cultures, which contributes to communication disparities in many ways

19 European Americans more likely to know about and have access to scientific info, government sources, news, Internet, etc. I have acquaintances, friends that are willing to inform me. People that work with government. And also my other sources I have alternate news sources. I m not relying on the newspaper. I m relying on, for instance, Internet news sources. Alternate news sources. So, it s not that difficult for me to get information. And the public library they do have information in the library. (White woman, Milwaukee)

20 Many African Americans are aware of pollution issues, but are much more likely to rely on first-hand observations, experiences, talking to friends/family Well, like I said, contamination of fish, quality of the water, you know, you can tell by the way water looks, you know, it s alarming, a lot of garbage, you know, you can tell by how the water is you know, like down by the lake, there s a lot of garbage down there and they did not take care of the problem. You know what I mean (African American, Cleveland)

21 Obvious differences in where European and African Americans buy fish, go fishing, contexts of fishing and fish consumption Fish market In Milwaukee suburbs Fish markets and bait shops In inner city Milwaukee

22 Different views from different places E.G., white sport anglers fishing from boats

23 Fishing from the shore

24 How we do communication and outreach is critical! Government, health agencies, researchers and NGOS need to put more $$ and Need staff into understand in-person language cultural, physical, and culturally socioeconomic appropriate contexts outreach and education of with fishing anglers and from fish all consumption backgrounds; to understand they need to who do gets more advisories than just print (or not) out and advisories how advisories and hope and they other get information to the intended are audiences. perceived and They used need (or to not) build trust with minority anglers and communities, work to understand their perspectives and cultures, and work with them to collectively address these issues.

25 The Madison Environmental Justice Organization educates the community about environmental justice issues, facilitate the community s ability to address them, and supports environmental justice for the benefit of the people from all backgrounds.

26 Our local air and water pollution has disproportionate impacts on people of color and the poor. We aim to build community capacity to address the public health and water quality issues related to the consumption of contaminated fish among people of color and the poor. We also aim to build community capacity to address other air, water, and food issues that people of color & poor are concerned about (e.g., asthma & air pollution).

27 MEJO s recent work Working with the Hmong community at Kennedy Heights on Madison s Northside to understand fish consumption and risks and build capacity to address these issues. Goal is not to stop the consumption of fish from Madison lakes but rather, to work collectively with people from different cultures (including European American) to make the water and fish here as clean as they can be, so that our children & grandchildren do not have to worry about fish advisories!

28 What we have been doing.. Community education meetings Research/investigation on scope of fish consumption, awareness Contacting public officials about addressing fish contamination issues Raising awareness in community, getting issue into mass media Most importantly, building relationships, trust with Hmong community and other affected communities in Madison to address all EJ issues (not just fish)

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